Coolant supply for machine tools



Dec. l2, 1933. F,E, sTRATToN COOLANT `SUPPLY FOR MACHINE TOOLS Filed May 11, 1931 NVENTO ZJZM'W ma. @gw/2W A TT RNEY Patented Dec. l2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frank E. Stratton, Edgewood,4 R. '1., assignor to Diamond Machine Co., Providence, R. l., a

corporation ol' Rhode Island Application May l1, 1931..V Serial No. 536,540

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in coolant supply for machine tools, particularly a machine tool of a type having rotating tool means and work holding means, one of said'rri'eans being reciprocatable relative to the other:

Particularly in machine tools having-'ag fast moving or quickly rotating tool, such as a-grinding wheel rapidly contacting the surface of the.A

work to be operated on, a great deal of heat has been developed and it has been necessary to supply some sort of means to feed coolant to the contacting surface of said work and tool and more particularly to the rotating tool itself to keep it from becoming over heated. As the tool itself is being rapidly rotated the coolant and grinding detritus has tended to splash all over the machine and all over the operative.- My invention particularly relates to substantially eliminating this splash. To this end I preferably provide a splash guard to cover the upper surface of the rotating tool and provide a curtain projecting downwardly laterally therefrom opposite said coolant feeding means to prevent the centrifugal force from throwing the coolant and/or detritus out towards the side of the contacting work and tool. The curtain preferably extends below the surface of said work holding means. To more completely insure, however, that no coolant and/or detritus will splash laterally, I provide a flexible apron projecting laterally therefrom beyond the adjacent edge of the work holding means and extending preferably above the upper surface of said work and below the upper surface of said work holding means to prevent any splashing of said coolant in this direction and to readily ex to insure a compact fit between said apron and work at all times to prevent any leakage of coolant. In order that said apron may more readily flex I provide it with a large plurality of spaced slits therein to permit it to readily flex to pass along the edge of the work.

Further features of my invention relate to the specific type of coolant supply system disclosed.

These and such objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of the accompanying drawing. In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a grinding machine equipped with my invention, the circulating system thereof being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagramatic plan view showing how the curtain may readily flex against the surface of the reciprocating work to prevent the escape of coolant therebetween.

In the' drawing, wherein like characters of referenoe indicate like parts throughout, l0 generally indicates a grinding machine of an ordinary .,typ e. Said machine includes the usual table 12 reciprocated in the usual manner on the bed 14 and a tool 16 such as the grinding wheel 16 suitably held in a suitable chuck 18 therefor and revolved by any suitable means (not shown). In ,the embodiment shown I have shown the work holding table l2 as being reciprocatable and the grinding wheel 16 as rotatable and stationary, although it is obvious that these positions may be reversed if desired. The work 20 is suitably 70 retained on the upper surface of the reciprocating table l2 of the grinding machine in the usual manner. It is thus obvious that in the embodiment shown the grinding wheel surface will rotate relative to the work 20 being reciprocated on the table 12.

Suitable means such as the cylinder means with enclosed pistons 13 are provided for the reciproeating table reciprocated in any suitable manner by mechanical, electrical or hydraulic means on the ways 15 of the bed 14.

As stated hitherto, some means to feed the coolant to the rotating surface of the grinding wheel is preferably provided and said coolant is usually fed to the actual grinding surface 22 of said wheel where it contacts the work 20. In the embodiment shown said coolant is led upwardly by means of the pipe 24 having the valve 26 therein and provided with a exible upper portion 28 which may be bent over so as to discharge the nozzle 30 thereof downwardly against the grinding surface 22 of the grinding wheel. In the embodiment shown as in most grinding machines, the coolant is discharged at one side of said rotating grinding tool usually as in the embodiment shown downwardly over the Work.

To prevent the splashing of coolant from the centrifugal force of the rotating tool or grinding wheel 16, I preferably provide a splash guard 32 completely covering said rotating tool, said splash guard 32 being mounted on the support 34 for the rotating tool. In my preferred embodiment, said splash guard 32 has a curtain 36 projecting laterally downwardly therefrom, preferably on the opposite side of said grinding wheel 16 from said coolant feeding means 30 and preferably projecting as shown below the upper surface of the work holding means 12. Said curtain is also preferably provided with a flexible apron 38 attached to an extension 40 of said curtain so as to'project obliquely laterally towards said work, the inner end of said apron being attached to said projecting portion 40 having the oblique bend iherein by means of suitably attaching means such as the nuts and bolts 42. Said apron projects obliquely laterally beyond the adjacent edge of the work holding means preferably above the upper surface of said work 20 and below the uppersurface yof said work holdingmeans and table 12 and being flexible is adapted to slide past the reciprocating work as shown in Fig..3 to prevent splashing of the coolant being forced by centrifugal force outwardly against guard 36 and apron 44. Said flexible apron 44 is provided with the slits 46 therein to permit said apron to readily flex to pass along the edge of the work, thus from the position shown at 44a in Fig. 3

to the position shown in 44b in Fig. 3 and it isv obvious that at all times the curtain 44 will thus hug the suiface of the work being ground or treated and being flexible will closely adhere thereto so as to prevent any discharge of fluid by centrifugal force between the end of said apron and work. Said apron may be constructed of any suitable flexible material but is preferably constructed of soft vulcanized rubber, which in addition will tend to stick to the surface of the work kby suction. It is also apparent that the `apronfneed not be attached obliquely to the inner'end of said curtain, but may even project at right'angles thereto and may not be provided with the slits 46 therein. In the embodiment shown said apron preferably comprises the two plies 48 and 50 having the inner ends each attached to the extension 4p by' means of the bolts 42. f

My invention further relates to improvements in the coolant circulation system.

A discharge trough 52 substantially the length of the table is provided underneath the rotating tool 16. Said discharge trough 52 discharges through a port 54 into a detritus cage 56 which is suitably pivoted on a wall of the frame 14 of the machine. It is thus obvious that as the detritus cage is pivoted outwards it may be readily cleaned of all detritus. The coolant flows therefore through the sieve portion of the detritus cage into the lower end 58 of the rear portion of said casing underneath said trough 52. In one end said casing-is mounted the centrifugal pump 60 suitably driven by the motor 62 and adapted to force the coolant `ipwards through the pipe 24 to be discharged again downwardly through the nozzle 30 on to the grinding surface of the grinding wheel 16. It is obvious that by means of the clamp 64 the nozzle 30 may be adjusted in any manner on said guard 32.

It is thus obvious that I have provided a novel type of guard having a novel type of curtain and particularly a novel type of flexible apron to prevent the splashing of coolant in grinding machines of this description and that I have provided a novel circulation system for the coolant therein.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine tool, rotating tool means, work holding means, one of said means being horizontally reciprocatable relative to the other, means to feed coolant to said rotating tool means, a splash guard covering said rotating tool means, and having a curtain projecting laterally downward therefrom opposite' said coolant feeding means to below theupper surface of said work holding means, having a substantially vertical flexible apron projecting obliquely laterally beyond the adjacent edge of the work holding means above the upper surface of said work and below the upper surface of said work holding means to prevent splashing of said coolant and having slits therein to permit said apron to readily flex and pass along the adjacent vertical edge of the work.

2. In a machine tool, rotating tool means, work holding means, one of said means being horizontally reciprocatable relative to the other, means to feed coolant to said rotating tool means, a splash guard covering said rotating tool means, and having a curtain projecting laterally downwardly therefrom, having a substantially vertical flexible apron projecting laterally beyond the adjacent vertical edge of the Work holding means to prevent splashing of said coolant, having slits therein to permit said apron to readily flex and pass along the edge of the work.

3. In a surface grinder having a rotating grinding wheel, work holding means relatively horizontally reciprocatable thereto, and a coolant supply, a substantially vertical flexible apron projecting laterally beyond the reciprocating plane of the work having slits therein to limit the disposition of the detritus and/or coolant.

FRANK E. STRATTON. l 

